Mechanical feed box



J. W: TURNER MECHANICAL FEED BOX 7 May 13, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed July 20. 1953 Fig.3

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BY M m? United StatesPatent ice I MECHANICAL FEED BOX Jack W. Turner, Cody, Wyo., assignor of forty-nine percent to Harold R. Crumb, Cody, Wyo.

Application July 20, 1953, Serial No. 369,196

1 Claim. (Cl. 198

This invention relates to a mechanical feed box and more particularly to means for removing or discharging material from a feed box.

An important object of the invention is to provide a mechanical feed box which can be used for various types of materials, and which will prevent the material from building up and thereby stopping the feed.

A further object of the invention is to provide a mechanical feed box in which the sides of the box aid the flow of material through the outlet.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a feed box having control means for controlling the rate of discharge therefrom.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a feed box having a plurality of power driven spiral conveyors driven at different rates of speed.

Another object of the invention is to provide a feed box having a discharge conduit thereon and means on the discharge conduit for connecting an elevator or the like thereto.

These, together with various ancillary features and objects of the invention which will later become apparent as the following description proceeds, are attained by the present invention, a preferred embodiment of which has been illustrated by way of example only in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a front end elevational view of a preferred embodiment of the present invention;

Figure 2 is a top view of the preferred embodiment of the present invention;

Figure 3 is a sectional view of the preferred form of the invention, taken substantially along the section line 33 of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a sectional view of the connection of an elevator to the discharge end of the feed conduit, with parts of the elevator and feed conduit broken away; and Figure 5 is a sectional view taken substantially along I the section line 5-5 of Figure 4.

Referring now more specifically to the accompanying drawings, wherein like numerals designate similar parts throughout the various views, it will be seen that the improved mechanical feed box forming the subject of this invention includes, as shown in Figure 1, a body portion 10 and a discharge conduit 12.

The body 10 comprises an inwardly sloping front end wall 14, a vertical rear end wall 16, and a pair of inwardly sloping side walls 18 and 20 joined together at their ends, in a manner so as to leave a longitudinal opening between their lower edges. A U-shaped trough 22 of shorter length than said longitudinal opening, is secured along its edges to the lower edges of the side walls 18 and 20 in a horizontal position, one end of the trough abuts downwardly extending projection on the vertical end wall 16 thus sealing that end of the trough. An opening is thus left through the bottom of the box adjacent the sloping end wall 14.

A tubular conduit 24 having a closed end and an open end is provided with an opening through the wall thereof 1 inlet end of the elevator.

2,834,451 Patented May 13, 1958 adjacent the closed end. The conduit 24 is disposed below the trough 22 with the opening thereof mating with the opening in the bottom of the box. Extensions are provided on the conduit 24 around the opening therein, which extensions are joined to the side walls 18 and 20 and the slopingend wall 14 to seal the conduit to the body 10. Thus, there is formed a single outlet from the body 10 through the open end of the conduit 24.

A frame 26 supports the body and conduit assembly, and is adapted to be mounted on the frame of a vehicle.

' r A power driven spiral conveyor 28 is mounted in the trough 22 and a power driven spiral conveyor 30 is mounted in the conduit 24. k The spiral conveyor 28 is driven at a slower speed than the spiral conveyor 30. Thus, the danger of clogging in the conduit 24 is removed;

An extension 32 is provided on the shaft of spiral conveyor 28 and has mounted adjacent its end a pair of sprockets 34 and 36. Spiral conveyor 30 has a bevel gear38 mounted on an extension of'its shaft. A shaft 40 is mounted on the frame 26 parallel to the extension 32 of the shaft of spiral conveyor 28, and has a sprocket 42 at one end thereof, and a bevel gear 44 at the other end thereof, meshing with the bevel gear 38. The

sprocket 42 is of a lesser radius than sprocket 34. A

shaft 46 leading from a power take-off has a sprocket 48 mounted thereon. A sprocket chain 50 is entrained over the sprockets 34, 42 and 48. Thus, upon rotation of the sprocket 48, the sprocket 42 will be driven at a rate of speed faster than the sprocket 34. Consequently, the spiral conveyor 30 will be driven at a rate of spe faster than the spiral conveyor 28.

The open end of conduit 24 is provided with a downwardly extending portion 52. The downwardly extending portion 52 is provided with a gate member 54 for controlling the flow of material therethrough. Control means comprising a pair of links 56 and 58 are connected to the gate 54 for positioning the gate 54 in adjusted position within the downwardly extending portion 52. The control link 58 is mounted on the frame 26for movement with respect thereto, in any suitable manner. A spring 60 may be connected between the downwardly extending portion 52 and the link 56 for urging the gate 54 to its closed position.

The lower end of downwardly extending portion 52 is provided with means for securing the intake end of an elevator thereto. The connecting means comprises a pair of ears 62 mounted on one side of the downwardly extending portion 52, and a plurality of hooks 64 pivotally mounted on the opposite side of said downwardly extending portion. The inlet to the elevator is provided with an outwardly extending flange having a pair of ears 66, which ears lie against the ears 62 on the downwardly extending portion when the elevator is connected thereto. The cars 62 are provided with projections 68 which are received in recesses in the cars 66, thereby pivotally mounting the elevator on the downwardly extending portion.

In connecting the elevator 60 to the downwardly extending portion 52, the elevator is first positioned so that the projections 68 on the ears 62 are received in the recesses in the ears 66, and then the elevator is pivoted so that the hooks 64 can engage the flange on the Thus, the elevator is locked in position on the downwardly extending portion 52.

The elevator is provided. with means for driving the same adjacent the connection to the downwardly extending portion 52. This means consists of a sprocket 70 secured to the driving shaft 72 of the elevator. A sprocket chain 74 is entrained about the sprocket 36 and the sprocket 70 whereby the sprocket 48 can drive the elevator as well as the two spiral conveyors.

The position of the discharge end of the elevator can 3 be adjusted by means of the cable 76 entrained over a pulley 78 and a crank 80 which are mounted on the body 10. By this means, the position of the elevator is raised or lowered to the desired position.

Thus, by using the feed box without the elevator, material can be discharged into receptacles which are lower than the conduit 52, and if it is desired to discharge the material into receptacles which are higher than the conduit 52, the elevator 69 may be attached. Further, in its detached position, the elevator will lie close to the side of the box, thereby allowing the box to be moved through a narrower opening than would be the case if the elevator were permanently attached to the conduit 52.

From the foregoing, the construction and operation of the device will be readily understood and further explanation is believed to be unnecessary. However, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the appended claim.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

A mechanical feed box comprising: a Wheel supported hopper for the reception of feed, a discharge conveyor including a horizontal conduit communicating at one end with the hopper for receiving the feed therefrom, said conduit terminating in a downwardly inclined free end portion, an elevating conveyor mounted for swinging movement in a vertical plane on the discharge conveyor and adapted to receive the feed therefrom, said elevating conveyor comprising a stationary mounting member on one end hingedly connected to the free end of the conduit and including a flange, and hooks pivotally mounted on the conduit and engageable by gravity with the flange for securing said member to said conduit in end-abutting engagement therewith.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 758,956 Buzzell May 3, 1904 2,296,014 Benzel et a1 Sept. 15, 1942 2,438,301 Schulte Mar. 23, 1948 2,613,004 Kane Oct. 7, 1952 2,616,579 Kill Nov. 4, 1952 2,675,932 Potter Apr. 20, 1954 

